My name is Stanley Zir, my father, Isidore Zir was a Russian Jewish immigrant. My father escaped the progroms of Russia with his family by coming to America. He played the viola in the orchestra of the legendary classical conductor Arturo Toscanini. He also played on the Perry Como show and on the records of some great jazz artists including Charlie Parker, Wes Montgomery, Clifford Brown, and Billie Holiday. His brothers served honourably in the US army in Germany against Hitler in World War II. My mother, Rose Zir, a German-Jew and a first generation American, was a well-known teacher in New York City . She was an even-handed teacher, but strict in making her students own up to their responsibilities. That is why she was loved by her students, many of whom were poor and had no role models to follow in their broken homes.

I first experienced the horrors of anti-Semitism at an early age. I was 12 years old, when I was approached by a gang of older boys, called a “kike” (a racial slur against Jewish people) and threatened. Naturally, I was frightened, but worse, I was not equipped to handle such hatred. I couldn’t understand it.

This single incident shaped my determination as to how I would proceed in this world. Soon after that incident, I made a pledge deep in my soul that I would never permit this to happen to me again and the scourge of fascism and hatred must be confronted and contained.

I had a medical business and served for 25 years as a religious leader in Soka Gakki.an NGO of the Untied Nations. Although I ended up remonstrating with this organization of 10 million strong for their abuse of the membership, I am proud to say as one of their leaders I set records for recruitment of memberships that probably remain in place today. However my crowning achievement was with the inner city youth as I was able to train them to take responsibility for their lives and to open their minds to the great treasures that America has to offer to them, amidst the negative environment that had stolen so many of the hopes and dreams around them.

Having a background in music I was able to promote cultural events throughout the five boroughs of New York where people were able to rejoice again in the music of their native land.

My articles have appeared in the Dallas News, Army Times, Israel Insider, Arutz Sheva, Jerusalem News, various Zionist publications and numerous news/think-tanks, websites and newspapers around the world. I have received letters of commendation from Congressional leaders, and others for my ongoing support of our troops, and Americans for a Democratic Cuba.

Buddy Macy:

In 2008 Buddy Macy and myself founded neveragainisnow.com. This was established to provide a rallying point from which Jews and non-Jews alike could unite in standing against any foreign policy that dictates the Jewish people must again go silently into the night.

Buddy Macy: “Buddy” Bernard Macy served with the Jewish Federation of Greater Clifton-Passaic in northern New Jersey for 25 years as recording secretary, fundraiser and member of the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee. In February 2006, Buddy resigned to protest the refusal by national UJA/UJC to begin emergency funding for the Jewish refugees expelled from Gaza and for the organization\\\\\\\'s silence about the brutal ethnic cleansing of Jews from Amona, 18 miles north of Jerusalem . Since then, Mr. Macy has learned about the perilous reality in which Israel finds herself and has pressed actively for mainstream Jewish leadership to speak out loudly and unequivocally and educate Americans (and Israelis) about the embattled